04 November 2005

From A Bestiary of Imaginary Species edited by Nenad Dragicevic: Cumulatino

Cumulatinos resemble jellyfish but live in clouds. They have little contact with humans although they have been observed in fog banks and sometimes get tangled up in airplane propellers. Two centuries ago a ballooning expedition by an Italian explorer collected samples of cumulatino which he kept in a humid room in Venice for several years and where they appeared to thrive on humidity. The cumulatinos were a local sensation. Visitors stood in the room while the cumulatinos slid over their faces and outstretched hands. Many returned to the room repeatedly and said the cumulatinos felt like the caresses of lovers.